COYOTES

Work ethic key to Arizona Coyotes' Shane Doan making a difference

Sarah McLellan
azcentral sports
Arizona Coyotes captain Shane Doan is pacing the team in goals this season with 19.

Coyotes captain Shane Doan started to understand how to have an impact when it mattered most in his fourth NHL season, right around playoff time.

He helped the team assemble a 3-1 lead over the Blues in the best-of-seven series in 1999 by scoring the deciding goals in Games 2 and 3 and ended up recording four points in the first round.

But the breakout performance didn’t sustain the Coyotes, who ultimately lost Game 7 in overtime despite the emotional boost of Jeremy Roenick’s return as Roenick had been sidelined since suffering a broken jaw late in the regular season.

The following season, Doan continued to realize what it took to make a difference. He teamed up with center Juha Ylonen and winger Mika Alatalo and debuted his best offensive totals up to that point, posting 26 goals and 51 points.

“It didn’t really matter if we scored or we didn’t,” Doan recalled. “We just did the same things, and I think it taught me a lot that year. No matter what – if you score, if you don’t score – it shouldn’t dictate if you had a good game or not. You have a good game depending on how you work. That’s something I’ve tried to hold on to.”

While the current version of the Coyotes have dropped out of a playoff position amid a four-game losing streak, Doan is skating as an example of how to play to edge back into a spot.

The 39-year-old is pacing the team in goals with 19 and has 13 of those tallies and 19 of his 30 points since the team’s final game before the Christmas break.

“He’s a veteran player that he knows what’s going to happen, knows how hard the games are going to get,” coach Dave Tippett said. “His game adjusts accordingly, and some of that is because he has the knowledge to do that. The other part of that, he has the capability of doing that.”

After Tippett addressed the team at the conclusion of Sunday’s practice at Gila River Arena, the players remained huddled in the corner of the rink. Doan faced his teammates, telling them the team has to be better and it has the ability to improve.

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That message is emblematic of Doan’s journey from last season to this one after he was critical of his 14-goal, 36-point showing.

“There’s probably an element after last season that I wanted to answer some personal questions, for sure,” he said. “I thought I was better than that. This year, I’ve been able to contribute. It’s been good. Last year was tough. The team really started to struggle, and it was disheartening and I kind of let it affect me so much more than I ever should have let it affect me.

“This year was a different approach where I’m going to enjoy playing hockey. I’m playing in the NHL and still loving every minute of it. It was my dream to play here, so I’m going to enjoy every minute of it and I think that approach has worked well for me this year.”

Already this season, Doan has become the all-time leading goal scorer in franchise history after surpassing Dale Hawerchuk’s record (379) Dec. 31. And Friday against the Ducks, Doan tied Hawerchuk for the most power-play goals (122) while also moving within one point of tying him for the most points at 929.

All of the accolades are meaningful, highlighting a resurgence for Doan, but how the Coyotes perform will dictate how he views this season.

And he appears to be doing his best to try to make it a memorable one.

“I understand all the things that go into the team being successful and if I’m successful, it helps,” Doan said. “But if ultimately, if the team isn’t successful, then all the other stuff seems kind of pointless.”

Coyotes drop fourth straight with road loss to Ducks

Injury update

Center Boyd Gordon, who suffered an upper-body injury Thursday against the Blackhawks and missed Friday’s game, is considered week-to-week and will see a doctor Monday, Tippett said.

Gordon leads the team with a 57.3 faceoff win percentage while pacing forwards in average short-handed time-on-ice (2:45).

“He’s been solid,” Tippett said. “He has an impact on the game, not so much on the score sheet, but on the little things he does in the game. So he’ll certainly be missed, but it’s a great opportunity for someone else.”

After assigning winger Steve Downie to the American Hockey League on Sunday, the Coyotes have 22 players on the active roster – one under the 23-man limit. Tippett said the team was going to discuss Sunday possibly recalling a center.

Winger Kyle Chipchura was not on the ice for Sunday’s practice. Tippett said Chipchura took a personal day and is not injured.

Reach the reporter at sarah.mclellan@arizonarepublic.com or 602-444-8276. Follow her at twitter.com/azc_mclellan.